Work Text:
Armand adjusted his neck against the arm of the sofa he lay on, left leg traipsed over the back. Daniel had told him that he needed to go out for something and—despite Armand offering to come with—insisted that he would simply find it boring. Work stuff if he must guess.
But Armand was bored. He'd hardly woken up by the time Daniel was kissing him on the cheek and running out the door. He felt disregarded in a way he knew was stupid. Daniel had actually been very nice to alter the plans with Lestat as to spend more time with Armand. And he did know he couldn't keep Daniel in the apartment forever. He did know that.
But in times like these, he wished Daniel would give up on his mortal pursuit of journalism. Besides the theatre—and antiquing with Louis—Armand hadn't really seen the need for 'human jobs'. But he could admit it made Daniel happy, so put up with it he must.
He glanced at the time: 1:30. Surely mortals wouldn't consider this business hours? Unless Daniel went to meet Lestat without him? He pulled his iPad from the table next to him and opened their messages.
Armand: Hello my love, could you tell me who you are with and when you are returning? xx
Daniel: out with a publisher about a new book. be back around 2 ish.
Armand felt his heart sink. How could Daniel have forgotten? He drafted multiple texts, all along the lines of "How dare you forget my kisses you heathen.". None of them felt right. None of them conveyed his complete devastation in quite the right tone.
Maybe he was with Lestat—or Louis. Armand knew quite well what Daniel thought of his decision to romance Louis after discovering his previous relationship with Lestat. Perhaps Daniel had realised he'd fallen out of love with Armand and decided to throw his own deplorable actions back at him. Or had he fallen? Had Daniel ever loved him to begin with?
Armand let out, what can only be considered, a pathetic whine as he felt himself begin to spiral. Maybe Daniel wasn't coming back. Maybe he, Louis and Lestat had been planning this for weeks. Planning on Daniels departure from Armand's sad, miserable, pathetic life so he could go off and live with younger, better vampires than he. Maybe—
His thoughts were cut short by the sound of the door opening and, "Hey babe, I'm home!"
It took everything in Armand's body—500 years worth of will power—to not jump up and run to greet Daniel. He will admit he felt overwhelming relief at his return. But he couldn't ignore the feelings Daniel's absence caused. Armand should never have needed to worry for the state of their relationship. And if Daniel had just remembered the damned kisses at the end of his text, none of this would've happened.
Daniel rounds his way in the apartment, chucking his coat on an empty chair and kicking his shoes off into the middle of the room. When he spotted Armand on the sofa, clearly pissed about something, his eyebrows furrow.
"What's wrong, babe?" he sits down on the empty space next to Armand's leg. "It wasn't those kids again? Throwing rocks at the window?" It was true. A couple of children had taken to throwing pebbles at their window. Armand decided not to search for their intentions as the reason seemed rather clear to him.
Instead of replying, Armand crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his chin up, away from Daniel.
"Okay. What's going on here?"
"My lov—Daniel. You have committed a great offence." Armand didn't really care if he was being dramatic. Daniel had come home, he wouldn't leave now if he brought this issue to light.
Armand looked down his nose to see Daniel waiting for him to carry on. When Armand continued staring he said, "What great offence have I committed?"
"You refused to send me kisses in your text." Okay, yeah, that sounded incredibly ridiculous. By the sound of Daniel's incredulous puff of a laugh, he thought so too. "Do not laugh at me. They are a symbol of our love for each other. When you refuse to send them, I feel very unloved." He was pouting by this point. He could hear the wavering in his own voice.
"Wow. Okay." Daniel placed a hand on Armand's leg—the closest thing to him—and began rubbing it in small circles. Reassuring. Nice. "I didn't know it meant that much to you. I'm sorry."
Armand didn't entirely know why he was crying, but still the crimson streaked down his face, the red droplets staining his white shirt a pinkish sort of colour. Daniel leaned over to grab Armand by the shoulder, moving him into a sitting position so they could hug. Armand's hands moved to grip Daniel's biceps as the other vampire cupped the back of his head.
After a couple of minutes and Armand had calmed down, Daniel asked quietly against the silence, "Wanna go lie down? I ate on the way home so I'm good for the rest of the night." And Armand couldn't think of anything he wanted more.
**
Sometimes, Daniel had noticed over the past couple of weeks, Armand got like this. Pliable and distant. It was like he went somewhere else, somewhere he couldn't quite access his own body. So Daniel adapted.
He'd help change him into those fancy-ass silk pyjamas he liked and they'd just cuddle. And most of the time, it seemed Armand didn't have control enough to speak. Which is why it kinda made Daniel jump when he did.
"Louis didn't like it. I think that's why I cried."
Daniel crossed the room back to where Armand was sitting on the bed. "What didn't he like, sweet?" He tried to stop his voice from sounding like one he'd use for a baby—or a cute puppy. He couldn't tell if he succeeded.
"He didn't like the kisses. Though they were…" He trailed off for a second. Daniel reached down and gingerly placed a hand on his cheek, which seemed to bring him back. "Stupid? I don't know. But he didn't like them and if I ever mentioned it he'd say I was overreacting. But you were nice." Armand finally looked up, actually looking Daniel in the eye for the first time since he returned home. "I like you." A soft, genuine smile made its way onto his face.
And fuck, if that didn't just take all the non-existent air out of Daniel's lungs. This beautiful, beautiful man liked him. He leaned down and placed, what he could only hope, was the gentlest, most love-filled kiss to Armand's forehead. "I like you too, gorgeous."
They both revelled in the weird sort of energy between them. Total bliss maybe? Even that felt too tame to describe it. Daniel stroked the side of Armand's face before stepping away to finish what he was originally doing. Oh right, pyjamas.
Daniel almost expected Armand to start keening, but when he turned back around, pyjamas in hand, Armand just seemed entirely fixated on him. "You like what you see?" Daniel tried to lighten the mood. Christ it had been so intense the whole time he'd been home. He knows it's what to expect with Armand but he's having a really difficult time dealing with the energy practically consuming him.
"I do very much." He'd come back to himself. Daniel thought it might be kind of awkward to dress Armand at this point . Generally it's out of a kind of necessity, but it might feel a bit infantalising now.
Daniel had paused in the middle of the room, heavily debating whether or not to carry out the original plan or just abort.
Armand sensed his general shutdown and made the decision for him by beckoning him back to the bed. When he made it there—it was only, like, three steps but he's having a Hard Time right now—Armand grabbed Daniel's free hand and placed a kiss to his fingers.
"Thank you for taking care of me, My Love."